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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · board · spring · content · bay · nail · cabinet · wind

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — a coil
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spring — the season
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com